Porter Gingerbread with Caramel Malt Glaze
adapted from a recipe by Richard Sax and Marie Simmons
prep
time : One to two hours
recipe type:
dessert and sweets
ingredients:
This is a two-bowl endeavor: one for mixing and one for sifting. Sifting is important when baking - it helps mix leavening and spices evenly throughout the batter without risking overbeating, which gives the cake a tough texture. The recipe is adapted from Marie Simmons and Richard Sax, in the book, CLASSIC HOME DESSERTS (Chapters Publishing, 1994).
2 sticks softened butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 12-oz. jar dark molasses or dark cane syrup
3 and one half cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons ground ginger
Half teaspoon ground cloves
Quarter teaspoon white pepper
One and one half teaspoons baking soda
Half teaspoon salt
8 oz. porter
One-third cup crystallized ginger (Use a soft crystallized ginger, such as Buderim or Pitter's Pantry)
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1. Preheat oven to 350F. Brush the inside of a tube pan with melted butter or spray with cooking oil.
2. In a large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer at medium speed until fluffy, and gradually add the brown sugar, breaking up any lumps with your fingertips. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Gradually beat in the molasses or cane syrup until well blended. Turn off mixer.
3. Sift the flour, ground spices and leavenings. In a blender, mix the beer and crystallized ginger until the ginger is ground very fine. IF your blender blades are dull, try chopping the ginger by hand. Grease the blade of your knife with oil to prevent the candied ginger from sticking.
4. Mix the cake batter with the dry ingredients, alternating with the beer, in thirds. Stir gently after each addition, but do not overmix.
5. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until cake begins to pull away from the side of the pan.
CARAMEL GLAZE
Quarter 1/4 cup cream
Half 1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons barley malt extract
1. Boil the cream and sugar together until the sauce is thick and bubbly, with an even rolling boil, and evenly coats the back of a spoon.
2. Remove from heat and let cool 3 minutes, then stir in malt extract. Drizzle glaze over cooled cake.
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